Striking Sparks
by tangle-of-dreams
Summary: One spark. That's all it takes to set Rose and Scorpius's love ablaze. But it's not going to be an easy ride. These two may be perfect for each other, but they're also perfectly damaged.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1:

"Rose Weasley!"

Gasping, I snap the book shut under my desk and look up—straight into Professor Remira's beady black eyes. "Y-Yes ma'am?" I stammer, feeling the eyes of everyone in class zeroing in on me.

She taps her foot in a disapproving manner. "I asked you to demonstrate a nonverbal spell. But if you're too busy _reading_ to pay attention in my class…" Professor Remira trailed off threateningly.

I leap out of my chair, ignoring my classmate's snickers. I'm not about to give up my place at the top of my class, not in my sixth year. What a shame that would be. Clearing my mind of all other thoughts, I focus on the shocking purple plant in the corner of the classroom. _Aguamenti_. A spindly stream of water shoots out of my wand all the way to the other end of the classroom, where it funnels into the dirt packed around the plant.

Silence. Then, a smattering of applause. Professor Remira eyes me keenly. "Rose, if you would stay after class today, I would like a word with you."  
That's just great. It will cut into my free period, one that I'd planned to spend with Albus, but there's no refusing her. I smile and say, "Of course, Professor." Then, I sink back into my seat and force myself to pay attention for the remaining twenty-four minutes. They might as well have been hours.

When the class is finally dismissed, I have to sit primly in my seat and watch as my fellow students file out of the room, chattering on about their plans for the weekend. Once the last student is gone, Professor Remira takes off her spectacles and rubs at her eyes. She looks so tired; it makes me feel slightly guilty for not listening to that day's lesson.

"What am I going to do with you, Rose?" She asks, after a long sigh.

I'm not sure what to say to that, so I continue to sit. Professor Remira begins to pace in front of the room, like she does when she's lecturing the class on whatever miscreant behavior we've demonstrated that day.

The next words out of her mouth surprise me like nothing else she's done has. "You're brilliant." She says, "Although you already know this. You're top of the class in every one you're enrolled in, correct? No, don't answer that, I already know the answer. What I don't understand is how you can pay zero attention in class and still receive perfect marks. More than that—I'm interested in knowing why you don't seem the least bit impressed by your prodigious skill. Do you not know how talented you are?"

She seems to expect an answer to that once. Swallowing, I shake my head. "No, Professor, I know I'm top of my class." I don't mean it in a boastful way, it's just something that happened. Truthfully, I wouldn't care one way or the other, but my mother made quite an impressive name for herself during her time here. It would be tactless of me to ruin her spotless reputation.

"Certainly you have big plans for yourself after graduation, Rose?" Professor Remira pushes. "With marks like yours, you could do anything you set your mind to."

I fiddle with my quill, rolling it between my fingers. The thing is, I have no idea what I want to with myself after I leave Hogwarts. I don't like thinking about it much, either. "I'm—considering a few options." I hedge. Hopefully she'll accept that and let me go.

She considers me for a long moment before nodding. "See that you are. A mind like yours is nothing short of a treasure. You may go enjoy your free period now; I won't keep you any longer. Though, in the future, do me the curtsey of pretending to pay attention in class, alright?"

"Yes ma'am." I say, then speed out the door as fast as I can.

When I get to the tree Albus and I meet under (it's right by the lake, and provides the perfect amount of shade in the summer), the first thing I notice is that he's not alone. The second, is that he's with Scorpius Malfoy.

_Fantastic. _That's about the only thing that could make this day better—having to sit through my cousin's best friend insulting everyone that passes by. I consider slipping away before either of them can see me, but I don't decide fast enough. Scorpius's steel-gray eyes slide over to my face, and he mumbles something to Albus. Albus, in turn, looks over his shoulder with a huge grin on his face.

"Finally, Rosie!" He exclaims, as I drop my knapsack next to him and take a seat. "What kept you so long? We were starting to worry."

By the icy look Scorpius is directing my way, I highly doubt that. But I plaster on a smile, for my cousin's sake. "Professor Remira kept me after class." I tell him. He's smart enough to deduce the rest.

Albus nods, then goes back to watching a group of girls by the edge of the lake. While he's occupied, I study him. He looks put-together as always, but something about him is different today. He has a sort of manic energy that I haven't seen since he got sorted into Slytherin in his first year. If he hadn't met Scorpius that same day, I doubt that he would have forgiven himself for not being a Gryffindor. I know that when I was sorted into Ravenclaw, Dad nearly had a heart-attack. I don't mind, not being in Gryffindor, though. I dated a Gryffindor last year, by the name of Lorcan. Let's just say that it didn't end well.

"Albus," Scorpius says suddenly, "I'm bloody bored. Can we find something interesting to do? Perhaps, those girls you're ogling?" A mischievous smile sneaks across his face.

Albus leans over and casually hits him upside the head. "Don't be daft. You have a girlfriend."

Scorpius shrugs, that pretentious smile still stuck on his face. "For now."

Oh, excuse me while I barf. In an effort to conceal my disgust, I fish my book out of my knapsack and flip it open to where I'd left off earlier. I only get a few paragraphs in, however, before Albus settles back into my lap, his head blocking the pages.

"What're you reading today, Rosie?" He asks, smiling sweetly. Like he doesn't know what he just interrupted.

Sighing, I tug the book from under his head. "It's about dragons." I say, and promptly prop the book up on his face. "There you go, Al, finally good for something. Now I don't have to bend over to read."

Scorpius lets out a bark of laughter, so startling a sound that I turn to look at him. He seems just as shocked as I am, but regards me with his usual cold stare. I'm torn between commenting on his friendly demeanor or hitting him with my book, when in a blur of red hair and white teeth, I'm tackled backwards.

"Rose!" Lily beams at me, her blue eyes sparkling. "I missed you at breakfast this morning."

"Get off, Lily." I laugh, pushing myself into a sitting position. "You're a fourth year now, and fourth years don't tackle people."

Lily sticks out her bottom lip in a flawless pout. "And where does it say that, Rose? In the official fourth year rulebook?"

"Don't mock your superiors." I scold, flipping my hair in a perfect Dominique impression. This, as intended, sends Lily into a fit of giggles. When she's composed herself, I sit her in front of me and start in on her hair. Lily and I are the only two girls in the family with red hair and if possible, hers is even wilder than mine. So, whenever the two of us are together—which is often enough—I like to braid her hair. It keeps me busy long enough to stay in one place and talk, and she claims to love the intricate hairstyles.

I listen as Lily describes her day to me, with occasional commentary from Albus. Scorpius remains silent until the matter of Lily's boyfriend comes up.

"He's absolutely perfect." Lily swoons, "He pays attention to me, and doesn't mind when I go off with my friends. And the _snogging_. Rose, you wouldn't believe—"

"You're dating Lorcan Scamander, right?" Scorpius interrupts. "The one in our year?"

Lily looks momentarily taken aback by the interruption. "Uh, yes…" She knows Scorpius about as well as I do, and the reasons he has for doing what he does remain a mystery to both of us.

Scorpius nods, and then fixes his gaze on me. "Didn't you used to date him, Rose? Back in fifth year?"

I have to grit my teeth to avoid swearing. Leave it to Scorpius to take a delicate situation and poke at it. "The two of us dated for a little while last year. Why?"

He ignores my question, and continues, "I believe you two dated for more than just a 'little while'. Weren't you together for over eight months?"

"Leave it alone, Scorp." Albus warns, and to my relief, Scorpius subsides. Not that it makes me want to punch him any less. Lily is still frozen in my arms, stricken, as she gets whenever the subject of Lorcan and I come up. I think she still feels guilty for dating my ex, but I'm happy for her. It's Lorcan I want to trip down the staircase.

"It's okay, Lil." I soothe, resuming the braid I've started on the crown of her head. "Tell me more about the snogging."

This invokes a gagging sound from Albus, but successfully draws Lily back into happy conversation about the prowess of her boyfriend's kissing ability.

The entire time, however, I feel Scorpius's eyes burning a hole in the back of my head.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2:

That night, I'm curled up in the common room, reading, when my book is snatched out of my hands. "What is with everyone and this book?" I cry, jumping up before I realize who's in front of me.

My best friend, Regan, is dangling the book in front of my face. She has her sandy blonde hair swept into a messy bun, and judging by the thick dusting of freckles across her face, she's been out in the sun all day. "You're going to meld into one of these someday. You know that, right?"

"Haha," I say sarcastically, and grab my book back. "You're so amusing. Really. I'm in stitches over here."

Regan swings herself into the armchair next to me. "I've had the best day, do you know that? The absolute greatest."

Realizing that I'm not going to be allowed to go back to reading, I shut my book. "What was so great about it?"

"Well, I got a really good mark on my potions essay, to start. Then I skipped my last three classes and spent the day lounging by the lake, soaking up sun. It was amazing. Oh, and I almost forgot the best part," Her eyes brighten, "We're invited to a Gryffindor party tonight!"

"We?" I repeat, "What do you mean 'we'?" Unless I'm mistaken, I don't recall being invited to any parties today.

"Well, Nicholas invited me and Kaylee, and when I asked he said I could bring you. Isn't that so exciting? We still have a couple hours before it starts, so that gives us plenty of time to eat and get ready—" Before Regan can build up too much steam, I cut her off.

"No, I'm not going. I'm not stepping a foot out of this room until I finish my book, and with the way people keep interrupting me that will never happen. But, you and Kaylee have fun." I brace myself for the begging I know is coming.

Sure enough, Regan frowns. "You have to go, Rose."

"I really don't."

"I already cajoled Albus into going, don't make me do the same with you."

Now it's my turn to frown. "Since when are you and my cousin friends?" It's not like they dislike each other or anything, but aside from the occasional run-in, they don't spend any one-on-one time together.

To my surprise, Regan blushes. "I just ran into him in the corridor and told him about the party. He was reluctant at first, but when I told him that it was an open invitation he seemed to perk up. I…think he might be bringing a girl."

That was unfair of her. Spiking my curiosity about seeing Albus with a girl he's not related to is just cruel, and she knows it. I give her my best withering look. "I doubt it. He's probably just going to bring Malfoy."

Regan rests her chin on her hands and stares into the fire. "What is it with the two of you, anyway? I've never been able to get a read on you guys."

I roll my eyes. "There's nothing going on, Rae. Publicly, I tolerate him, for Albus's sake. But he's always trying to get better marks than me, and he's just so cold and closed off. Plus, he always seems to know things he shouldn't, like he's ultra-perceptive. I don't like him."

She actually laughs. "Since when do you care about marks?"

"You know that I need them! If my mother thought I was doing anything less than perfect, she would flip out on me." I rub my eyes, feeling a tension headache creeping its way in. "I'm sorry, Regan, but I really don't feel like a party tonight. Especially not if Scorpius is going to be there."

She sighs, and makes a big show of being disappointed, but I know that she won't miss me. Whenever I let her drag me off to parties, we don't spend time together there. She has other friends that like doing what she does—drinking and dancing, that sort of thing. I'm more of the lurk-in-the-corner kind of girl.

It takes her an hour and a half to be ready, and when she finally leaves, the common room is deserted. I pick up my book and try to read, but my agitated thoughts create a barrier between the page and me. Soon, I give up. I go up to my dorm and throw on a sweater, then sneak out of the tower and make my way down to the forbidden forest.

Yes, it's probably not a good idea to go there at night, but I've been doing it for three years now and I know the best way to get where I want to go. It takes me the better part of fifteen minutes to get there, my favorite spot on all of Hogwarts grounds. It's this little circular clearing, no more than thirty feet across. The grass is thick and lush, and the tree canopy parts to reveal the most delicious section of sky. Tonight, all the stars are out. I lay down in the bed of grass and stare up at the stars, mentally mapping out the constellations I see. Astronomy has always been my favorite subject. Whenever I look up into the night sky, all my problems suddenly seem a lot less important, until eventually, my thoughts grow quiet. Peace floods my body.

Going to classes the next morning are the last thing I want to do. I'd stayed out late stargazing the night before, and hadn't gotten to bed until a few hours before I needed to be up. Luckily, Regan is in worse condition, so we could share in our misery. I drag my feet all day, all the way up until my last class—astronomy. Today astronomy is with the Slytherins, which means sharing a class with Scorpius. This is something I know I'm better at than him, which is why I perk up a bit as I walk into the tower.

"Good evening, class," Professor Leicester said, sweeping his hand dramatically around the room. "Please set up your telescopes, and complete this map of the location of the stars. First one finished wins five points for their house."

Without thinking, I glance over at Scorpius. He's already looking at me, eyes narrowed in frustration. He knows that this is one subject he has no hope of besting me in. I practically skip over to my telescope. The worksheet is a breeze, and in a handful of minutes I'm done. I wait to see if anyone else is, too, but there isn't a sound in the classroom as everyone works. Trying to make myself as inconspicuous as possible, I dart over to Professor Leicester and hand him my work.

"Finished already, Miss Weasley?" He booms, flipping the paper over and scanning my work. "Ah, I see that you are. Five points to Ravenclaw, as promised."

So much for not being noticed. I try to ignore the stink eye several students are giving me, and slink back over to my station. I spend the rest of class staring off into the sky, seeing how many shapes I can make from the star clusters. It keeps me occupied enough that I don't notice Professor Leicester calling my name until he's repeated it a fair amount of times.

I turn from my telescope, and realize that I'm the only student left in the tower. Well, the only student besides Scorpius. "Yes, Professor?" I ask, beginning to pack up my equipment.

"I need to discuss something with you, Rose." Professor Leicester slings an arm around Scorpius's shoulder. Scorpius, for his part, looks downright murderous. Already, I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"What is it, Professor?" I carefully tuck the telescope into its velvety case, stalling for time before I have nothing to do but stare at the two of them.

"Scorpius here is having some difficulty mastering this class, and seeing as how you're my best student, I would consider it a great favor if you'd tutor him." The words fell on my ears like a death sentence.

"But I'm not enrolled in the tutoring program." I say, trying to ignore the death-glare Scorpius is shooting me. "I'm not qualified to teach the material."

Professor Leicester waves his hand like the information is beside the point. "Come now, Rose, we both know that this class is a cake-walk for you. You have a better grasp on the subject than any of those tutors—merlin, you could probably teach this class better than me! Please, take pity on the boy."

Merlin, no. That's about the worst thing he could have said. Me, pity Scorpius? The same Scorpius that looks like he wants to use an unforgiveable curse on both of us? But I don't want to say no to Professor Leicester—he is my favorite teacher, after all. Closing my eyes, I nod. "Alright, Professor. I'll…tutor him."

"Excellent." Professor Leicester finally releases Scorpius, and bustles over to his desk. "I had some extra material prepared in case you agreed. Here you are," He shoves a load of papers at me. The top most paper was a list of the strangest words. Seeing my confusion, the professor explains, "That's a list of the tower's passwords for the next few months. You have my permission to use them, and bring Scorpius up here whenever you're tutoring him. I expect you both to meet at least three times a week outside of class, and twice on the weekends. Nothing less will make a difference in his marks. Is that acceptable to you both?"

"Yes," I say, without thinking. Five times a week! I have to see Scorpius five time a week outside of class for the next few months. I don't know what I did to deserve this. Really, I don't.

"Yes," Scorpius spits the word out, and its dripping with so much venom that I half-expect Professor Leicester to drop to the ground.

"Fantastic. Now if you both would be so kind as to leave, I have to finish up a few things." With that dismissal, Scorpius and I head for the tower door.

We walk up the grounds together—rather, Scorpius stays several feet ahead of me, fuming. Personally, I hope he never turns around. As my luck would have it, he stops after a few minutes, waiting for me to catch up.

"I don't need your help." He says, as soon as I've reached him. The ferocity in his voice startles me. There's nothing to be _that_ mad over.

Unfortunately, I can't keep my mouth shut. "Clearly you do, or Professor Leicester wouldn't have asked me to tutor you five times a week."

"I don't have time for that, I've got Quidditch practice!" Scorpius snarls, pounding his fist into his other hand.

"Well," I shrug, "I guess you should have thought of that sooner."

He stops walking. It takes me a moment to realize this, and a moment longer to stop and turn around. I can't help but give an involuntary gasp. In my entire life, no one has regarded me with such a cold look. Like I might as well be a dung beetle.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" He asks slowly.

I snort, "Hardly." As if tutoring him is how I want to spend my free time. No, thank you. There are a thousand things I would rather be doing. This certainly isn't enjoyable to me.

Now he looks frustrated again. "Then why didn't you just say no when Professor Leicester asked?"

That's it. Normally, I'm the kind of girl that avoids confrontation. But my temples are throbbing and I've been yelled at enough. "Because Astronomy is my favorite class, he's my favorite teacher, and I like helping people! Bite me, okay, Scorpius? I'm doing this for you. If you fail this class, your parents won't be pleased and it will ruin your chances of a perfect overall. You could drop it, I suppose, but that looks just as bad. So if I were you, I would start being a little nicer to me, since I'm the one that's going to help you get a good mark!" I pause, waiting for a response. Scorpius, however, looks dumbstruck. Well. Serves him right. "I'm going to dinner, now. We'll start our first session tomorrow, in the library at eleven. That should give you enough time to go to practice, which I know because Al is also on the team. Goodnight, Scorpius."

With that, I turn on my heel and walk back to the main castle. I don't wait for him to catch up.


	3. Chapter 3

Saturday morning I wake up ten minutes before I'm supposed to meet Scorpius. Cursing under my breath, I quickly change out of my pajamas and into jeans and a navy blue tank-top. It's the first week in October and unseasonably warm.

"Where are you off to?" Regan asks, sitting up in bed and squinting at me through sleep-bleared eyes. She'd been out late the night before.

"Tutoring with Scorpius Malfoy." I glare at my reflection in the mirror. My hair is a matted tangle of curls, and there's no time for me to fix it. Not that I need to look good for Scorpius. Clenching my jaw, I pull my hair into a messy bun and add a black headband.

That information wakes her up a bit. "When did this happen?" She asks eagerly, shoving off her covers.

I shrug, and snatch the pile of papers Professor Leicester gave me off my trunk. "Last night. I would fill you in but I'm running late. Later?"

"You better believe it, girly!" Regan shouts as I race out of the dormitory and to the library.

I arrive out of breath a few minutes later, and scan the room for Scorpius. He isn't there. Picking out a table, I drop my things on it and settle in to wait. Fifteen minutes pass. Then thirty.

After an hour and a half of waiting, I re-pack my things and storm out of the library. He's _so_ on my list now, and I know exactly where to find him. I get to the Quidditch field within a few minutes and, sure enough, I see the Slytherin team flying around. Okay. I know for a fact that as of yesterday night, their practice was scheduled to run from six-to-ten in the morning. It was almost one in the afternoon now.

"Scorpius!" I shout, trying to find him in the indistinguishable blur of silver and green. "Get down here, right now!"

_Ooh, way to scare him, Rose. I'm sure the "right now" really has him shaking in his boots. Not._

"Weasley?" The Slytherin team captain, Affleck Bennet, lands a few feet in front of me. He has jet black curls and wonderfully full lips. I can tell you a thing or two about those lips from experience, too. Mmm. "Hey, what's with all the shouting?"

I'm so angry that it's hard to form a coherent sentence. "I—he—your Keeper skipped out on me." I splutter, clenching the papers in my hand so hard that they start to fold.

Affleck frowns in confusion. "What now?"

After a deep breath to steady myself, I continue, "Malfoy was supposed to meet me in the library two hours ago. Professor Leicester asked me yesterday to tutor him in Astronomy. Apparently, he's failing, and I just wasted two hours waiting for him, Affleck. That's so not how I want to spend my Saturday."

He sighs, and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Last night Scorpius asked me to change the practice time to eleven, and I guess this is why. He's a brilliant Keeper, Ro, it's not like I can suspend him for it."

Of course he's irreplaceable. "Well," I grind the heel of my palm into my forehead. "Can't you pretend like you can? Scare him into cooperating? If he fails he'll automatically be suspended, anyway."

Affleck pales. "That's a good point." Turning his face to the sky, he pulls a whistle out from under his robes and blows on it four times. After a moment of nothing happening, one of the players flies in our direction.

Scorpius's face is shining with sweat, and blonde tufts of hair are poking out of his helmet. "What's going on?" He asks as he lands, barely sparing me a glance.

Affleck fixes him with a stern look. "See here, Scorpius. You may be a damn good keeper, but you're not that good. If you ever blow off tutoring again, I'll pull you from the next game. If you fail Astronomy, you're off the team, anyway, and none of us can afford to have that happen. From now on, I want to hear nothing but glowing reports from Rose, understand?"

Scorpius nods. "Sure, whatever you say. Now can I get back to practice?"

Affleck looks over at me, waiting with a stack of papers held against my chest, and shakes his head. "No. You're going to go get changed and meet Rose in the library for tutoring. And I better not hear about you giving her any trouble."

With a disgusted snort, Scorpius throws down his broom and stalks away. I smile and wave at his quickly retreating back. _Hah_.

"Thanks for that," I say to Affleck, "Sorry for interrupting your practice."  
He waves this away. "Don't apologize, you know you can come down here whenever you want. In fact," He hesitates, biting his lip, "I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date with me sometime."

I study him. He seems sincere enough, and I know that he makes a good date. If that's not enough, the snogging is fantastic. Still. Last time I let him take me out, he got really possessive and hated when I chose Regan or a book over him. "Maybe another time, Bennet." I say, softening the blow with a smile. "Right now isn't very good for me."

He looks disappointed, but hides it quickly. "Sure, yeah. Good luck with that one, Weasley. Let me know if he gives you a hard time, and I can rough him up a little for you."

I laugh, "I definitely will. Have a nice practice, and make sure you keep Al on his toes."

With a quick salute, Affleck kicks off the ground and soars back to the rest of his team. I stay and watch a minute longer, then start the trek back to the library.

In the library, I find Scorpius at one of the back tables, sulking. He's wearing dark-wash jeans and a fitted white shirt, his hair wet and rumpled like he recently took a shower. I take the seat farthest from him, and begin sorting out the materials.

"I can't believe you did that." He snarls suddenly, glaring at me.

"Your face will get stuck like that one day." I say lightly, not rising to the bait. Finding the right papers, I pass them across the table. "Here, this is a list of the stars and planets with their corresponding picture on the right. You need to memorize this if we're going to get anywhere."

Scorpius snatches the paper off the table, looking it over with a frown. "Fine, I'll have it done by tomorrow. Anything else?"

I want to hit him, I really do. "Yes. I want you to complete this worksheet. Using the reference sheet I gave you, find and mark down the hidden star clusters. Can you handle that?" It's a pointed question, and he knows it.

His scowl deepens, but he grabs the paper out of my hand and without another word, begins working on it. Satisfied that he's not going to ditch me again, I get up and leave the table. Scorpius doesn't ask where I'm going, which is good, because I wouldn't have told him.

I wander through the aisles of books, marveling at the sheer number collected in one space. I need a reference guide on dangerous plants for a Herbology report, so I pick out the closest few and compare them. The second one looks promising; I carefully stack the others back and head very slowly over to the table.

The two of us work together in a stony silence that's only broken after an hour has passed. Scorpius slaps the completed worksheet down on my Herbology report. "I'm done. Can I go?" He says shortly, regarding me in his usual warm and fuzzy way.

I should make him stay and work for another hour, to punish him for standing me up earlier, but I just want him as far away from me as possible. "Fine, go." I say, waving my hand toward the door. "I'll see you here tomorrow at eleven, and it would be great if you could actually show up this time."

When I next look up, he's gone. I try to finish my Herbology report, but it's duller than sand and I can't hold back my curiosity any longer. I pull Scorpius's worksheet out from under my report and look it over. Impressively, he managed to name every cluster but one correctly.

Even though I know he's long gone, I look over at the library doors. Hmm. He may be a real pain, and a generally disagreeable character, but he's got promise. Not that I'll ever admit it out loud, but there may be hope for that boy, yet.


	4. Chapter 4

"I can't believe he did that," Regan whispers, voice barely audible over the snapping of the common room fire. It's Saturday night, and my promised story has enticed her to stay in and talk to me for once. We're in our pajamas, wrapped up in cozy blankets in front of the fire.

I blow on my cocoa, watching the tendrils of steam curl out of the mug. "I can't believe that I waited as long as I did. An hour and a half? That's ridiculous."

She shakes her head in disbelief. "And you really went down to the quidditch field and started yelling?"

"Mhm," I half-smile at the memory. I was so angry, I wanted to do more than yell at him. Beat him senseless, even.

Regan cracks up. "Oh—oh Rose. I'm sorry, but he's so gotten under your skin! Look at you, you're all riled up." She kicks off her blanket and sticks her feet closer to the glowing fire.

"I am _not_!" I protest. I dip the tip of my tongue into the cocoa and am rewarded with a flash of pain. It's still far too hot to drink, unless I'm interested in scalding my throat. Which I'm not.

She gives me a bemused look. "Sure, you're not. Whatever you say. But hey, how'd he do during tutoring? Miserably?"

And here we come to the part I was hoping to avoid discussing. "Actually…" I begin slowly, "He did well. Really well. He only missed one question."

Gasping, Regan slaps her hand to her mouth. "You're joking. If he did so well, then why is he failing?"

I shrug the best I can while balancing a hot drink on my knee. "Don't ask me. It was easy when he got the right motivation—leaving."

"That, or," She smiles in that wicked way she has, and I brace myself for what's coming. "He's found his new teacher more to his liking than the usual one. You know how helpful _visual aids_ are…"

I snake my foot out of the blanket and kick her. "Shut up, Rae. Don't put ideas into people's heads. It's poor form." But I can't help but smile at my friend as she collapses on the floor in a fit of hysterics. "Come off it, its not that funny."

"Yeah, but—" Regan struggles for control, tears of laughter bright in her eyes. "Can you picture it? Y-you with stony Scorpius?"

Even though I know she's joking, I start to picture it. In my picture, the two of us are outside under the usual tree. He's wearing that white t-shirt he had on today and I'm in a lacy yellow dress. It's cool out, but with his arms wrapped around me the wind loses its bite. I trace my fingers along his arm, and find that it's like silk over steel. I feel him kiss the top of my head…

I shake myself back to reality. It's a lovely picture, but with one major flaw. Scorpius. It's natural to feel a little wistful for those goosebump-inducing feelings, but I can't—won't—let myself project them onto someone completely wrong for me.

To try and shake the image, I take a gulp of the cocoa. As the hot liquid sears its way down my throat, I focus on the pain instead of the lingering feeling of Scorpius's lips against my hair.

"You're late." Are the first word's out of Scorpius's mouth as I enter the library Sunday morning.

I scowl at him and drop my things onto the table. "By fifteen minutes. I think you, of all people, will find it in your heart to forgive me."

Scorpius harrumphs. The moment I get the papers out of my bag, he holds out his hand expectantly. Wordlessly, I pull the worksheet from the stack and cram it into his awaiting hand. It doesn't require an explanation, so I get out the Herbology report I'd neglected yesterday and attempt to buckle down.

I've only been working a few minutes when Scorpius says, "I'm not impressed, by the way."

This is so strange that I stop writing mid-sentence, and direct my gaze up toward him. "Impressed by what?"

"You," He says pointedly, relishing in the admission. "Albus is always prattling on about how fantastic you are, and all your teachers seem to hold you in a class above the rest of us. Then there's Affleck, who's constantly mooning over you. It's quite irritating and, personally, I don't see the appeal."

I fight back the urge to laugh, and slap him upside the head. Who does he think he is, telling me that he doesn't see "the appeal"? I have a whole list of things about him that are lacking—tact, for one.

To throw him off, I flash my sweetest smile. "You don't say. Please, continue, I'm fascinated in hearing your opinion of me."

He doesn't even hesitate. "You're intelligent but nothing special. You succeed because you can, not because you want to. Everyone is of the opinion that you're especially kind and fun, but I think that you're rather stuck-up and don't know how to begin having fun."

"Excuse me?" I scoff, "I know how to have fun." I can't believe he's judging me, really I can't. Scorpius Malfoy, of all people?

"Hmm," He purses his lips disbelievingly. "I doubt it."

Gnashing my teeth together, I point at his work, "Whatever, Malfoy. Get back to work so I can leave."

This succeeds in shutting him up, but only for a minute. Then, "If you really want to prove me wrong, come to the slytherin party tonight."

"I don't have to prove anything to you—" Is my instinctive response. It's true—I'm comfortable enough with myself that I don't need to go out of my way to disprove Scorpius's opinions of me. Plus, it's a school night.

On the other hand, it would be _extremely_ satisfying to knock that smug little smile clean off his face. And Slytherins do throw the best parties (contrary to popular opinion). "You know what?" I continue, so fast that I almost interrupt myself. "Tell me when. I'll be there."

Something flashes across his face so fast that I can't identify it—surprise? Respect? But he's as cool as usual when he says, "It starts at eleven-thirty. You can bring anyone you want, especially if it's that Regan girl. That would please Albus nicely."

Now he was just throwing things out there. How would bringing Regan please Albus? But I'm tired of arguing with him, so I roll my eyes. "Fine, sure. Now finish that bloody worksheet already."

By the time Regan and I get to the Slytherin party, it's in full swing. There is loud music blasting from everywhere and nowhere at once, with flashing multi-colored lights making every movement look jagged. People have brightly illuminated paint smeared over various body parts, so they stand out in the darkened room. The overall affect is simultaneously hypnotic and overwhelming.

Someone grabs my hand. "Rosie!" They holler in my ear, "Glad you could make it!"

I smile at Albus, a smile that fades as soon as I see Scorpius lurking at his side. "Hey, Al. The party looks great."

"Yeah, it looks great!" Albus repeats boisterously, shoving a cup at me and another at Regan. "So do you, Regan. Look great. I mean, really great! Would you like to dance?"

Regan shrugs out of her jacket and chugs the proffered drink in one fluid motion. "I'd love to!" She shouts back at him, smiling mischievously. As she passes me, she whispers in my ear, "Show him what you're made of, Rose."

Left alone with Scorpius, I follow Regan's lead and knock back the drink all at once. It tastes sharply of berries, and immediately makes my head feel lighter. As soon as its gone, Scorpius comes up with a second drink, handing it to me without a word. I'm a little worried about chugging this one, but do so anyway to avoid Scorpius's weirdly intense stare. As the last drop slips down my throat, I become much more aware of the demanding pull of the music.

"Wanna dance?" I shout over at Scorpius, who maddeningly still hasn't said a word.

He nods, and we walk together toward the throng of pulsing bodies. Normally, I would feel subconscious breaking into dance moves in front of strangers—especially judgmental Slytherins—but the two drinks must have packed more of a punch than I realized, because the transition between walking and dancing feels effortless.

I let the beat dictate my movements, and soon I'm spinning and grinding and completely lost. I smear a fingerful of the luminescent paint in stripes across my cheeks, and at one point I'm handed another drink. I finish it in three long swallows—it burns my throat for minutes after, and seems to set fire to my feet. The one thing I'm vividly aware of in the blur of sound and lights is that Scorpius maintains a careful distance from me.

I catch sight of him a few feet away, watching my escape into the music. I twirl my way over, coming up short just inches from him. Keeping my eyes locked on his, I take his hands and guide them to my waist. Then, still dancing in time to the music, I wrap my arms around his neck. I smile up at him as we move our hips together, a hair's breadth separating our bodies. I can feel his breath on my neck.

Someone bumps into me from behind, knocking my body completely against his. Neither of us breaks apart, or stops moving to the music. When he laughs, I feel it reverberate from his chest to mine—and it's not an entirely unpleasant sensation. Pulling back just enough to see his face, I find him already staring down at me. It's not his usual look—there's no ill will in it—but the same burning intensity is there. It's magnetic. I tilt my face up the same moment he moves his down…

The rest is an indistinguishable blur of faces and sounds.

**I hate cliffhanger endings more than anybody, but there you go. I'm a hypocrite. (; Don't worry, the way I'm writing these (*cough* obsessively) there will be a new chapter out very soon. Feel free to leave comments and suggestions, by the way—I'd love to hear what you all think! **


	5. Chapter 5

**There seems to be something wrong with the way the document is being formatted, so to when you see the first few words of a new line ****Big and bold** **it's to symbolize a few paragraph breaks (a passage of time from one scene to the other). Hope that clears things up. **

**Someone is shaking me**. Blearily, I look up into Regan's face. She looks exhausted.

"What time is it?" I ask, rolling over and looking out my window. Wait. How did I get in my bed?

The lack of memory startles me awake. I push back my covers and see that I'm in the same clothes I wore to the party, except now they're a mess of paint and glitter. Regan's at least in clean clothes, although her eyes are barely open.

"We missed our morning periods. It's lunch right now." She says, perching on the edge of my bed with a sigh.

"What happened last night?" I ask her, panic constricting my breathing. "I can't remember anything after my third drink."

She looks supremely unconcerned. "I dunno. What can you remember?"

"Well," I search my frazzled brain for the blurry memories. "I remember getting there and Albus sweeping you away. I remember having a couple drinks and dancing…and then dancing with Scorpius…argh, but that's _it_. I feel like something is missing, something big."

"Dancing with Scorpius, hmm?" Regan flicks the fringe on my blanket and grins. "Maybe you blocked out the memory because he's such a horrible dancer."

"No, that's not it. He's really go—" I stop just before I admit that dancing with him was the highlight of the night (at least, the what I remember of it). "Nevermind. Let's get ready for class."

Making myself presentable took the better part of lunch, and by the time Regan and I got downstairs everyone was clearing out.

I make a face at her. "Guess we won't be eating. What do you have today?"

Regan scrunches up her nose. "I don't remember. You know, I don't really feel like classes today. I think I'm going to skive off. Care to join me?"

Truthfully, nothing sounds more appealing. But I don't know what I'll be missing if I don't go to class. "Can't," I say, reluctantly slinging my bag over one shoulder. "I've got a paper to turn in for Charms."

"Come after that." She suggests.

"Maybe another day. I've got tutoring during free period, and I can't let Scorpius's grade fall because I didn't show. Besides," I pinch the skin between my index finger and thumb in an attempt to stall the headache I could feel coming. "I want to ask him if anything happened at the party I should remember."

**I drag my heels** through Potions and Ancient Runes, but when it's time for free period I have to force myself to walk to the library. My eagerness to see him has everything to do with discovering what happened last night, and nothing else. Especially not the _very_ clear memory of his hips pressed against mine. Really.

When I get to the library, he's nowhere in sight. Hoping that this won't be a repeat of the last time I got here first, I drop into a seat and wait. I'm not waiting long, maybe a few minutes, before Scorpius appears in the doorway.

"Sorry I'm late." He says when he's close enough, and carefully sinks into a seat.

My jaw drops. Was that—did Scorpius just apologize? God, I must be tired if I'm hallucinating. "That's…fine." I assure him, and take out the materials I'd prepared the day before.

"Thanks," He says when I pass them over.

Okay, I wasn't imagining it that time. This was too weird. When did Scorpius learn manners? He certainly hadn't known them yesterday. Seriously, what had happened at that damn party?

"Hey, Scorpius?" I begin slowly so as not to startle him. He looks up from his work, and I can't decipher the neutral expression on his face. "I don't want to bother you while you're working, but, um, did I do something last night? Something that I should remember? Everything's kind of hazy."

Scorpius opens his mouth a couple times, then snaps it shut. He shakes his head. "No. There's nothing."

"Well, okay," I don't believe him. I can't decide where the suspicion comes from, maybe the strangely pained look he suppressed a second ago, but it's there. "If you say so."

"Mhm," His quill is already scratching the paper. I watch him out of the corner of my eye. He's concentrating intently, biting his lower lip ever so slightly. Wisps of white blonde hair fall into his eyes and he impatiently brushes them away.

"Scorpius, I—" I cut myself off before I can start. What am I planning to say? Accuse him of lying to me about last night, or ask if he finds the work difficult? I've got his attention, though, so I can't say nothing. "I think you're doing really well in such a short time." I finish feebly.

Scorpius looks down at the table, but not fast enough. I'd seen the smile, and it was brilliant. "You're a good teacher." He mumbles, snatching his quill and getting back to writing.

**The last class I have**that day is Care of Magical Creatures with Gryffindor. When we're given our assignment, I'm quick to begin. The faster I'm done the faster I can leave. I've just pulled out my parchment and quill, and am balancing my inkpot on my arm, when someone runs into me from behind.

I cry out as my things and I tumble to the ground, my inkpot smashing in a small explosion of black droplets. Most of the ink seems to land on my outstretched arms, making them look like they've contracted some weird form of chicken pox. Someone scoops up my paper and holds it out to me.

"Sorry for that," Lorcan says, grimacing. "Here."

"Thanks," I mutter, grabbing my paper from him. I find my quill and pick that up, too. But the inkpot is beyond repair.

"Do you need to borrow some ink?" Lorcan asks, pushing his bangs out of his face. I remember him doing that often when we were dating; a sure sign that he was uncomfortable.

If I had a choice, I would say no, but his accident hasn't left me with much of one. "Yes, thank you." I say, doing my best to keep my tone light and civil. Wordlessly, he passes over his inkpot. I prop my parchment against a tree stump and begin to sketch the creature we're studying. _The horn has seven ridges…the left leg should be a little smaller…what is that, a French fry? _

Lorcan clears his throat. "So, Rose,"

I turn back to him, forcing a stiff smile. "Can we not do this? It's not my fault we're sharing ink, so let's just share quietly."

"Fine, whatever." He snaps. He's quiet for a few seconds, hovering over me, but he can't seem to contain myself. "If you had paid attention to your surroundings…"

"Lorcan!" I squeeze my quill so hard that I hear a muted crack. "Please. Don't start with me. I'm tired, and my temper is running a little short. And you're not exactly my favorite person."

He looks offended, which makes me want to punch him. "Why not? What happened was a long time ago."

"Not that long. And when the guy you've been dating for about a year drops you for your younger, prettier cousin, it kind of sticks with you." I shake my head. "That was always one of your problems, Lor. You could never seem to do any wrong. There was always an excuse."

"Yeah? Well maybe I wouldn't have fallen for Lily if you came out of your dreamworld long enough to pay attention to me."

"What are you talking about?"

He smiles smugly, like this he knows something I don't. "You've always had your head in the clouds, Rose, and you would never come down for me. I loved spending time with you, but there always felt like something was missing, like your heart wasn't in it, you were just going through the motions."

Gaping at him, I scramble for an answer. It's not like him to be perceptive. "I was going through a difficult time, and I relied heavily on you for support. You—you were my rock, but one day you disappeared and left me stranded in an ocean."

From one look at his face I could tell he didn't understand. "You know what?" I continue hurriedly, "Forget it. It's in the past, and I'm sorry for bringing it up. Can we get back to work?"

He's fast to agree, and the rest of the class period we spend in silence. The drawing should have been easy, but it's slow going because my focus is wavering. I can't help but remember the things I struggled with last year, and how maybe I didn't hide it as well as I'd wanted.

**After COMC** I head down to the lake. Bending down at the water's edge, I dip a finger in and watch the rings spread across the surface. Even though I know that I should be feeling a lot, I feel strangely apathetic. Without prompting, a memory steps forward and presents itself to me. Lorcan and I's breakup.

_We were sitting in my favorite courtyard, one dripping with lilies and violets. I had a book balanced in my lap, and Lorcan was tossing a ball in the air. _

"_Rose," He said, abruptly stopping his rhythmic throw-and-catch. _

"_Hmm?" I pulled my eyes away from my book, and smiled at his serious expression. Leaning over the stone table, I take his hand. "What is it?"_

_Lorcan looked down at our hands and sucked in his cheeks. "You see…the thing is…"_

"_Tell me." I insisted, closing what at the time was my favorite story. It was an epic love story about a boy who was riddled with problems, one of them being his unconditional love for a princess that could never love him. Until she does. _

_He floundered for several seconds before, in one breath, saying, "I really like you but I think that we need to take a break." _

_I heard every word. "Wait, what? You 'really like' me? Lorcan, I love you. And I know you love me, so what's with the 'like'? And what do you mean, a break?"_

"_Rosie, this isn't easy for me either. It makes me wish I could feel differently, but I think I've fallen out of love with you. I think it happened a while ago. I don't want to pretend any longer, do you? I mean, you've been distant for weeks. You feel the same way, right?"_

_I felt like I was drowning. Yanking my hand back, I tried desperately to wrap my mind around what he was saying. He didn't love me anymore. Did I feel the same way? No. I'd made that clear about five seconds ago. How could he do this? "Sure, I feel the same way." I smiled through the film of tears in my eyes and the sharp pain in my chest. "If you hadn't said anything, I was going to." _

_Lorcan's shoulders slumped in relief. "Thank goodness. I was worried that this was going to be difficult. I'm glad it's mutual." _

"_Sure," I repeated, still smiling toothily. "Hey, I have to go—go meet Regan." _

"_Really? You didn't mention that earlier." _

"_I only just remembered." I waved at him as I blew past, wanting nothing to get out of there as fast as I could. Then, I stopped as suddenly as I'd started as a dreadful thought struck me. "Hey, Lorcan? I have one question." I turned back to him._

"_Yeah?" He smiled easily. That smile. _

_Ignoring the throbs of pain, I voiced the thought that was nagging at me, "Who is she?" _

_Lorcan's grinned turned impish. "Lily."_

"_Lily, as in my cousin, Lily?" He nods in affirmation. "Alright. Okay. Hey, Lorcan?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_You're an ass." Then, I walked away. Before I left the courtyard, I plucked one of the floating lilies and crushed it under my boot. _

"Rose? Hello, Rose?" Albus's voice brings me back to reality.

"Hi," I push myself off the ground and embrace my cousin. "When did you get here?"

"A few seconds ago." Albus's tie is loose around his neck, and his hair is messy. "I'm glad I ran into you, Rose. I need to talk to you."

"Uh…sure." I'm not used to seeing my cousin so disheveled. "What's with this?" I motion at him.

"I…fell." He says, obviously lying and not caring enough to make up a good lie at that. "Listen, what I wanted to talk to you about is Scorpius."

"Yeah? What about him?" For some reason, the mention of his name makes my stomach tie up in knots.

He frowns, confused. "What do you mean? I want to talk about what happened with you two last night. I thought that would be obvious. The thing is, if you're serious about him, that's one thing. But if you were just messing around, I think you should stop it. Scorpius might have a reputation, but I don't think I've ever seen him so captivated. Does this make any sense, or do you have your mind made up?"

By the time he finished talking, my eyes are as wide as saucers. "Albus, what in Merlin's name are you talking about?"

"Now I'm confused." He looks at me like I'm the one talking in circles.

"I don't remember much of last night, so I have no idea what you're prattling on about. Did something happen between me and Scorpius?" I can't breathe. It feels like a giant has hold of my lungs and is squeezing them tight.

"You mean," An amused smile curls up his lips, "You don't remember?"

I shake my head.

He covers his mouth with his hand. "This is unbelievable. Does Scorpius know you don't remember?"

"Albus I swear to Merlin if you don't get to the point…" I threaten, taking a step toward him.

Albus sobers, the smile slipping from his face. "Rose, I don't know how to tell you this, but last night…" He trails off.

I want to shake him, but hold my tongue. Maybe if I'm quiet he'll tell me what I need to know.

After a few seconds, he takes a breath and squares his shoulders. "Last night, you and Scorpius kissed."

My breath leaves me in a woosh.

Wait.

What?

**I bet you guys saw that coming from a mile away, you smarties. (; **

**But I had to. You know. When opportunity knocks…kiss it.**

**What did you guys think of this one? **


	6. Chapter 6

**I kissed him. **I kissed Scorpius Malfoy. What had I been thinking? Clearly, I hadn't. It's these thoughts that plague me tonight, that keep me from getting some much needed sleep. Regan is sleeping peaceful as a kitten, curled up with the covers to her chin. Briefly, I debate waking her, but it would be unfair to keep her awake just because my mind is going a mile a minute. Sneaking off to the Forbidden Forest doesn't even sound fun; my body feels heavy and I don't really want to move.

Scorpius clearly remembers. That's why he was acting…nice, at tutoring. Well it wasn't worth it. If I could take back my kiss and be stuck with his cold behavior, I would. But because time turners aren't available anymore, I have to live with my mistake.

_Stupid, Rose. Stupid, stupid, stupid. _

There really couldn't be a worse guy to snog. My family—not including Albus—would think I'd taken leave of my senses. The Malfoys and the Weasleys have a less than friendly history, according to my mother. A small part of me, a traitorous part, is disappointed that I can't remember what the kiss was like. I mean, if I'm going to screw up so royally, shouldn't I get to enjoy it?

What's done is done. I need to stop worrying about it and go to _sleep_. I can't afford to miss classes tomorrow. Besides, Scorpius probably doesn't think anything of it. It was just a kiss. He kisses girls all the time. I'm definitely not a special exception so I should really shut up and close my eyes. With an irritated sigh, I flip onto my stomach and nestle my head in my pillow, waiting for sleep to come.

**Morning classes are **grueling, testing my focus to the limit. I'm forced to skip lunch to make up the work I missed the day before, so when my free period comes I nearly run over several people in my dash outside. The sunlight hits me like a spotlight, and cool almost-autumn wind makes my robes billow around me as I run straight into the forest. Ah. Sweet freedom.

I keep going until the bag on my back starts feeling heavy and forces me to slow to a walk. Only then do I hear the crashing footsteps behind me, and a distant voice calling my name. I stop, waiting for whoever it is to catch up. A few seconds later, Lily comes crashing through the trees, red hair fanning out behind her.

"Oh!" She runs into me with a startled exclamation; I throw my arms out to keep her from falling. "Sorry, Rose, I guess I forgot to put the brakes on."

"What are you doing here?" I ask, plucking the twigs from her hair.

It takes her a bit to get her breath back, but when she does the words pour out of her like a waterfall. "It's all over school, you know, about you and Scorpius. Is it true that you two kissed? I can't believe it, Rose. Why would you do something like that? I mean, the snogging is alright but why did it have to be with Scorpius? He's…you know. He does that with lots of girls, and he's not very nice." Her doe eyes widen. "Rose, if you like him you can tell me. I won't judge you. I won't understand it, but you know you can tell me anything. I have to say that he'll hurt you. He doesn't seem like the kind of boy that kind make a commitment, like Lor—" She stops herself so fast that she chokes on the word.

"Lily Luna!" I grab her by the arms and laugh. "Calm down, will you? Yes I kissed him, but I was drunk off my face and don't even remember it. I promise you, it means nothing. Okay?"

"Oh?" She lifts an eyebrow, weighing this new piece of information. "In that case, I don't need to be worried. How does he feel about it?"

"Lily, come on. It's Scorpius. I'm sure he feels what he always feels—nothing."

"I don't know, Rose. Albus said—"

"Forget what Albus said." I interrupt her. "He's not half as smart as he thinks he is, anyway."

Lily gives me a suspicious look. "Why are you so set against hearing that Scorpius might actually have thought it was something special?"

I really don't want to answer that. "And you're too smart for your own good." I reach out and tousle her hair. "Want to come to the clearing with me?"

She knows exactly where I'm talking about and perks up immediately. Lily is the only one I've ever taken there. Not even Albus knows where I run off to. "That would be great!" She says, smiling dazzlingly. "Let's go!"

I reach down and take her hand. The two of us run off in the direction of the clearing, hopping over fallen logs, our laughter bouncing off the trees.

**I arrive at** the library that evening with a plan. I'd already made up my mind the day before to take Scorpius to the astronomy tour, which is the reason I'd scheduled our tutoring for later than usual. The plan is to pretend like nothing happened. I know this plan doesn't have a high success rate for most people, but I'm a fairly experienced liar so I have a better chance of pulling it off.

Scorpius is waiting for me, leaning against a table. He jumps to his feet when I enter, but I don't take more than two steps into the room. "Come on," I jerk my head toward the door.

He grabs his jacket off the table and follows me. "Where are we going?"

"To the astronomy tower. It's time we get some hands on experience."

The walk there isn't long, and we endure it in silence. My head is spinning with about a hundred different thoughts, but I focus on looking ahead and perfecting my poker face. When we get to the tower, I give the password and the door parts for us. We climb the spiraling staircase and emerge in the topmost part of the tower, surrounded by the cool night.

"Okay, set up your telescope, and I'll be over in a minute." I instruct him, then go over to the edge of the tower and lean over. The ground seems far below me, and when staring at it begins to make me dizzy, I direct my gaze upward. I couldn't have picked a more perfect night—all the stars are out, glimmering brilliantly, and there isn't a cloud in sight.

"Ready." Comes Scorpius's voice, loud in the still night. I go over to him and check his setup. I make a couple adjustments, and hand him his assignment. "This should be easy if you've memorized the sheet I gave you. It's a simple map. If you have any questions, let me know."

Good. That was very formal, even if my hands shook as I passed over the paper. He accepts it without question, and gets right down to work. That's something I admire about him—the only thing. It's not hard for him to do what needs to be done. I get things done, but I fight with myself tooth and nail and put them off until the absolute last minute. If I had his focus, I really could do anything after graduation.

I realize I'm staring, so I move off to the other side of the tower and look out across the grounds. It's hard not to get lost in my avalanche of thoughts, but I use the technique Uncle Harry taught me to clear my mind. Closing my eyes, I let my thoughts come and go without pursuing them until eventually they still. I concentrate on all the sounds around me, the feeling of the stone underneath my fingertips, and the smell of clean air.

"Uh, Rose?"

My eyes snap open, my peace efficiently shattered. Scorpius looks rather sheepish as he says, "I need help. I can't seem to find Cassiopeia."

"That's easy. Here," I go over to him and bend down to look in his telescope. I move it with my thumb and index finger as I search for the missing constellation. "There." I finally find it, and hold the telescope in place for Scorpius.

He leans over, and the top of his hair brushes against the soft skin of my forearm. "Right. I can't believe I missed that." He laughs self deprecatingly and moves to mark it on his chart.

I'm so close to him that I don't dare to move for fear of touching him again. A sudden wind sweeps through, sending shivers down my back. Scorpius notices.

"Are you cold?" He asks, pausing his writing to face me.

"No, it—it's just a bit chilly. I'm fine." I stammer. For some reason, having his full attention makes my face start to burn.

"Here," Before I can stop him, Scorpius picks his jacket off the ledge and hold it out for me. "I insist."

There's no good reason for me to refuse, so I slip my arm through the sleeves. His hand brushes against the back of my neck as he flips the collar up, and goosebumps spring up on my arms.

"There," His voice is so different than I've ever heard it—quiet and insisting—that I turn to face him. We're no more than six inches apart, and from this distance I can see the flecks of blue in his gray eyes. "That should keep you warm."

"Yeah," I barely notice the word leaving my lips. I'm finding it increasingly hard to breathe, being suddenly wrapped in a jacket that smells like pine needles and fresh laundry. A jacket that smells like Scorpius.

Scorpius tilts his head slightly. "Albus told me that he told you what happened. I think it's impressive that you know we kissed and managed not to say anything about it in the past forty minutes."

"I'm not all that interested in it." I reply, scuffing the floor with my shoe to avoid looking into those strangely intoxicating eyes.

"Is that so?"

"Mhm." My voice comes out in a humiliating squeak. Clearing my throat, I continue, "I think it would be best to forget about it, actually. I mean, I don't remember it to begin with, but I think we should act like nothing happened. Because nothing did happen. It was nothing. So, we should get past this."

"Is that what you want?"

Irritated by his nowhere way of questioning me, I meet his eyes with a glare. "Of course that's what I want, otherwise I wou—"

Scorpius reaches forward, cupping his hands behind my neck and startling me into silence. Before I can think—react—say anything, he brings me closer to him and kisses me. It's not a gentle kiss, not by far. It's demanding, the kind of kiss that growls for more—more passion, more heat, more closeness. It takes me by surprise and renders me momentarily incapacitated.

But only momentarily.

I shove him backwards, breaking the kiss. He stumbles, looking disoriented and confused. Touching a hand to my swollen lips, I find I'm so angry I'm shaking. Adrenaline burns in my blood, giving me the strength to do what I need to.

"How _dare _you?" I spit, each word dripping with venom.

"What?" Scorpius looks genuinely confused, which only makes me angrier. "Rose, what are you talking about?"

I jerk away from his outstretched hand. "Don't touch me. Don't ever touch me again. I don't know who you think you are. I sure as hell don't care that you're a Malfoy, if you think that gives you some exclusive right to kiss girls like that."

"Like _what_?" He bursts out. His eyes have lost their warm glow, and are glaring at me with a familiar hardness. I welcome it.

"You didn't even ask, you just took! Right after I said that I wanted to put the kiss behind us, you go and do it again." I advance on him, throwing my hands in the air, "Do you not hear people when they talk? I'm pretty sure most people don't take 'forget the kiss' as 'go ahead and kiss me like the world is ending and we have five seconds left to live'! I—"

"Oye! Woman!" Now he definitely looks pissed. "Get off my back, it was just a kiss."

"You really don't understand, do you?" I shout back. "I'm not like you, Scorpius, I don't go around snogging anything that moves!"

"Hey," He frowns, "I don't know what you've heard, but—"

"What _I've_ heard? Scorpius, it's what everyone's heard! And I'm not looking for that so," I yank my arms out of his jacket and whip it at him. It cartwheels in the air before landing in a pile at his feet. "Thanks, but no thanks."

"Wait, Rose!"

I tear down the steps of the astronomy tower, ignoring his pleas for me to stay. When I hit the bottom step, I hit it running, relying on my experience as a runner to keep him from catching me. I don't stop until I get to Ravenclaw tower, where I breathlessly answer the riddle and push through the doors. The common room is deserted, except for Regan, who's curled up with a book in an armchair.

"Rose, hey," She takes one look at my face and scrambles to her feet. "What happened? What's wrong?"

A choked sob escapes me, and I rush into her open arms. I try to collect myself as Regan makes soothing noises and rubs my back. I'm not even sure why I'm so upset. But the adrenaline is wearing off, my lips are bruised to the touch, and I can't stop shaking. A few hot tears slide down my cheeks as I contemplate how completely screwed I am, even more so because I can't stop feeling Scorpius's hands sliding over my skin.

**The moment of truth. ...Or is it? **

**Wonder how Scorpius will take Rose's rejection. Hmm...I guess we'll just have to see. **

**On a different subject, one of my wonderful readers suggested that I start working on a companion piece for this story from Scorpius's POV. Is that something anyone else would be interested in reading? **

**Let me know!**


	7. Chapter 7

**The next **day I throw myself into work, pouring all my energy into perfecting each sentence of every essay. I don't allow myself any time to daydream like I usually would, because I'm terrified that I might think of the "Unfortunate Incident". And that's unacceptable.

When classes end for the day, I make my way up to Ravenclaw tower. There are a few people lounging in the common room, so I go up to my dormitory. Once there, I deposit my books on my bed and start to change into more casual clothes.

"Geez, warn a girl or something before you go taking your clothes off."

Yelping, I turn to glare at Regan. "I didn't even know you were in here." I snap. "Turn around, I'm taking my shirt off."

Pursing her lips to—unsuccessfully—hide her smile, Regan drops her face into the covers on her bed. "What's with the 'tude, little miss thang?" She asks, when I've told her it's safe to look.

This only makes me scowl harder. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh," She swings her legs around, letting them dangle off the bed. "Right. Then tell me something. Why aren't you at tutoring right now?"

I freeze momentarily, then continue unpacking my bag. "I have a lot of homework. I don't have time today."

Regan snaps her bubblegum. "Did you tell Scorpius this? Or is he sitting in the library right now, under the impression that you're planning on tutoring him?"

"He may be under one impression or another," I say carefully, "But that's not my problem. I can't control what he thinks, can I? No. I can't. So if you don't mind." I tuck my legs under me and pull out my Potions essay. I finished it during free period, but there's always room to check for errors, right?

"Hey," When I look up again, Regan's eyes are serious. "I'm trying not to pry Rosie, I really am, but you still haven't told me what last night was about. And now you're skipping tutoring and letting someone who was counting on you down? That's not like you and I'm worried."

"Don't be, I'm fine."

"And whenever you say that, you're always the opposite." She counters heatedly. "Are you going to tell me what's going on or am I going to have to get your brother?"

My eyes widen. "Why would you bring him into this?"

"Because, Rosie, as much as you two might not understand each other, he loves you fiercely. I know he can guilt whatever it is out of you." Regan lifts an eyebrow challengingly.

For a change, I want her to be right. But I know she isn't. "Unfortunately, you're wrong." I turn back to my essay, crossing out a spelling mistake. "Hugo and I haven't spoken in over a month."

"What?" She yelps like she's been stung. "And when were you planning on telling me this?"

I shrug. "It's not important."

"It's not important that you're not on speaking terms with your own brothers?" She throws her hands into the air. "What happened?"

"Also, not important." The true story was long and complicated, and I didn't feel like getting into it with so much already weighing on my mind.

Regan's expression became thunderous. "I really can't deal with you sometimes, Rose, I really can't. Talking to you is like talking to a—a wall. You're a very good listener, but damn it, I'm not going to think less of you if you admit you have feelings! I want to help you, otherwise I wouldn't bother asking! You know me, I'm not that nice. But, fine. Whatever. It's your choice." She pushes herself off the bed and heads for the door.

I stop writing. "Scorpius kissed me."

Regan gasps. "I'll kill him!"

Her reaction makes me laugh. "No, don't bother. I already yelled at him for it. And, um, it's actually the second time."

Quick as whip, she shoves my schoolthings off my bed and plants herself in front of me. Her hazel eyes shining, she demands, "Tell me _everything_."

**Once Regan **falls asleep, I climb out of bed and head out of the castle, down to the lake. For a change, I decide to stretch out under the usual tree (which in my head I've started calling Big). Big and I relax under the watchful eyes of the stars. For the first time in days, my head feels clear. The ground is fresh from that day's rain, and I dig my fingers into the soft dirt. Somewhere, a sleepy bird trills. Letting my eyes close, I take a deep breath. The air smells like earth, flowers, and crisp pine—

My eyes snap open. There are no pine trees around here. Alert, I do a complete three-sixty of the grounds. He's standing a few feet away, peeling an orange. Peeling an orange and watching me. Scorpius and I stare at each other for what feels like minutes, before I realize what I'm doing and get to my feet, ready to leave.

"Rose."

Hesitating, I look back. Scorpius walks toward me, and offers half of his orange. "Do you want some?" He asks, uncertainty making his hands shake. This in and of itself is so momentous that I accept the fruit. Scorpius swallows a few times looking at me and then away more times than I can count.

Finally, he bursts out, "I was a jerk, okay?"

I jump, startled by the increase in volume. "What?"

Glowing red, Scorpius stares stubbornly at the ground. "You were right. I shouldn't have kissed you like that without your permission. I guess I just thought that maybe—I mean—I—I'm sorry."

I'm fairly sure that I'm gaping at him. Yep. My jaw is actually hanging open. I quickly close it, and swallow the wedge of orange I'd popped in my mouth. I have no idea what to say to this. How does someone handle an apology from Scorpius Malfoy? Someone with so much pride that it makes you want to smack them sometimes?

"I…that…uh…" Is all I can manage.

"I know. It's not enough." He scuffs the dirt with his shoe. "I realized you were seriously angry when you didn't show up for tutoring. And I knew I had to do something to fix it. You—you're a good teacher. I won't do anything to screw that up again, okay? My grade can't handle it. So, no more kissing." He looks up, and smiles tentatively.

My heart plummets at that, which of course is only more surprising. _Since when has Scorpius Malfoy not kissing me been a disappointment? _It's then that I realize something. The very thing I've been trying to avoid.

I like kissing him, and the idea of stopping makes me feel physically ill.

In that second, I decide. "Meet me here tomorrow night at twelve. No tutoring that day, either."

Scorpius frowns. "Why?"

"Because," I take a deep breath and let the grin I've been holding back show. "I want to take you somewhere."

**I pass the** next day in a jumble of nerves and anticipation. Tonight's the night. I'm going to make a move on Scorpius Malfoy. Merlin, I don't know what I'm getting myself into. All I know is that while kissing other boys has always been a pleasant enough experience, only Scorpius has managed to take my breath away and leave me with sweaty palms. Even if the only kiss I can remember us having ended with me screaming at him. Eh. Things happen.

I tell Regan where I'm going, following my new open door policy with her. If possible, she's more excited than I am. She knows how important this is to me, so she skips the "he's a player" warning and sends me off with her blessing and a hug. I throw my favorite white sweater on over the pink sundress I'm wearing and head down the secret passageway that takes me to the grounds. From there, it's a quick walk to the tree. Even though I'm ten minutes early, Scorpius is already there.

His impish smile shines in the moonlight. "I didn't want to be late."

I can't help but smile back. "Neither did I." He looks incredible, in jeans and a striped blue sweater with a white t-shirt peeking through the v-neck. His hair is its usual tousled perfection.

_Get a grip, Rose. He puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like the rest of 'em. _

"Ready to go?" I ask to distract myself.

He nods. "Lead the way."

I start toward the Forbidden Forest. It's a testament to his nerves that he doesn't hesitate in following me. Butterflies flutter in my stomach, and I can scarcely breathe with him walking so close to me. He smells different tonight. His usual pine-fresh air smell is still there, but now there's a raw, spicy scent that overpowers it. It makes me want to move even closer.

_I have issues. Serious issues. The kind I should be seeking professional guidance for. _

In spite of myself, I shuffle a step closer to him so that every few steps our arms brush against each other. I hope he doesn't notice. I'm paying absolutely no attention to where we're going—which isn't the best idea when wandering around the Forbidden Forest—so it's lucky my feet know instinctively where to take us. In a handful of minutes, the trees begin to look familiar. We're seconds from my clearing. A wave of seconds thoughts crash over me, but I push through them. It would look ridiculous to turn back now.

We step into my clearing. It's beautiful tonight, as I knew it would be. The crescent moon is directly above our heads, washing the ground with light. The lush grass tickles my legs as I walk ahead, planting myself in the middle of the clearing and facing him square on.

I had something witty and cute to say, but here, in the moment, I've blanked. "Here we are." I say, watching his face closely as he takes it all in.

He takes his time looking around, finishing his circle with me. His face full of wonder, he breathes, "It's beautiful, Rose."

Happiness floods through me, making everything look ten times brighter. I was worried that he wouldn't be impressed, would sneer and tell me I was acting like a strange little woodnymph. I would've expected it from Scorpius a week ago, but now? I wouldn't have brought him if I didn't know on some level that he would love it as much as I do.

On a whim, I sit down in the grass. "Come on," I smile when he hesitates. "I won't bite."

_Much._

Scorpius takes a seat a frustrating foot away. Spurred on, I lie back, placing my hands on my stomach. His face never changes, and after a second he lies down as well, folding his arm behind his head. The stars are out in abundance, sparkling like their lives depend on it.

He isn't saying anything, so I point at the sky. "Do you see that constellation there? The one that looks like a lightning bolt?"

Scorpius squints up at the sky. "No, I can't find it."

"Really? Here's a hint. It's the one I'm pointing at."

He makes a face at me, then in one quick movement he moves his head so it's touching mine. "_Now_ I can see where you're pointing."

I don't know if it's normal for my head to feel like a thousand tiny shocks just hit it, but that's how it feels with his head against mine. I keep pointing, afraid of what I'll hit if I put my arm down.

Scorpius points his left hand up, brushing against my right arm in the air. "There. I think I see it now. That one?"

"Yes. That one. That's my favorite constellation."

He laughs. "You have _favorites_? So you really are a nerd."

I bring my hand down and smack his stomach with it. Oye. He has some strong abs. Trying to regain my focus, I say, "Don't be rude, I'm being serious. It's my favorite one. Its name is Lacerta, and usually it's pretty hard to see, but tonight it's really…sparkling."

I feel him pull away, and when I turn my head to find out why, he's staring at me. Suddenly, my eyes feel fixed on his, like I couldn't tear them away no matter what I tried.

"Why did you bring me here, tonight?" He asks, searching my face for the answer I'm not ready to give.

I need more time. I'm not ready! But as his eyes search mine, I feel a calm fall over me. No, it has to be now. A wind sweeps through the clearing, rustling the leaves on the tree and making it sound like we're lying in the middle of an ocean.

"I come here as much as I can. I love it here as much as I love my home, and it's where I would go when I was younger and feeling homesick. Somehow, with the stars and the trees, I never felt so far away." I swallow hard and continue, "I wanted to show _you_ this place so that you'll always know where to find me."

Scorpius's voice was soft when he asked, "And why do you want me to be able to always find you?"

This is it. I take another deep breath. "Because I don't want you to ever lose me." As soon as the words were out of my mouth, my face began to burn. Was it always this way with confessions? Are you supposed to feel mortified afterward?

"Rose," His use of my name sent shivers down my back. "Open your eyes."

Oh. I open them, not having realized that they were closed. What I see makes my stomach flip over. Scorpius has a very tender look on his face, and he's looking at _me_ that way.

"I can see the stars reflected in your eyes." He whispers, moving an inch or so closer to me.

I can't breathe. Merlin, why isn't oxygen entering my lungs?

He closes more of the distance. "They make you look…infinite." On the last word, he leans over and kisses me. This kiss is a thousand times different than the first (second?) one. It's soft, gentle. It's feather-light against my lips. My heart swelling, I move my head up and deepen it, placing my hand on his knee. After a while more of this, he breaks the kiss, breathing heavily.

"Rose, I have to tell you something." He runs a hand through his hair, looking more troubled than a guy I just snogged should look. "I like you. But I'm no good at being someone's boyfriend. I—I don't know how."

I think I understand what he means. He might have experience in the physical aspect of a relationship—okay, so he definitely has that experience—but I've never heard of him having a girlfriend for very long. It's always been conquests over girlfriends.

"Hey," I want to touch his cheek, but I chicken out at the last minute and end up touching his hand instead. "It's alright. We don't have to decide anything right now. We can take it slow."

His face brightens. "Do you mean that? You don't mind?"

I laugh gently. "No, of course not. We can start small. We like kissing each other, right? So why don't we start with that, and go from there?"

Something akin to awe shines in his eyes, as he leans forward to kiss me again.

**Hehehe c: **

**You knew they'd do it. I knew they'd do it. But hey, isn't it SO COOL that they did it? I'm so excited about this chapter that I'm up at two finishing it, when I really should be sleeping. Blame any spelling mistakes on my eagerness to share. **

**Okay, Auriella. It's written. They've kissed & confessed. Now upload it and go to bed. Because you're smiling like an idiot talking to yourself. **

**Haha, hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Good nighhhht! **


	8. Chapter 8

**The next two** months are the happiest of my life. Scorpius and I are a couple, and besides the occasional glares from jealous underclassmen, it's been wonderful. I found out lots of things about him, like how he's obsessed with Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans (his favorite flavor is honeydew) and he's terrified of clowns.

"No one is that happy all of the time," He would say, "It's suspicious."

He's become my confidant, second only to Regan. Speaking of my best friend, she and Albus have become quite the couple themselves. They're nauseatingly adorable, and I'm sure I'd find it weirder if I didn't have Scorp to keep my busy.

He's everything I could ever want and more. After fifty nine days of stolen kisses and moonlit dinners, he's become a part of me. Whenever I'm not with him, I'm thinking about him. He's taught me a lot about myself, too, like how I studiously avoid my problems instead of dealing with them, and don't particularly care for apple pie. Honestly, I can't imagine my life without him anymore than I could imagine life without my arms. That's why tonight I plan on telling him something I've never told anyone before.

"Are you nervous?" Regan asks, handing me my blue knit cap. She's glowing as usual—ever since she started dating my cousin she's had this dewy, over-the-moon glow going on. Again, puke. I like to think that my relationship isn't that sappy.

I tuck my hair behind my ears and pull the cap on. "Honestly? No. I know Scorp, and I know this is going to be a good thing for us."

She bites the side of her thumb, like she tends to when she's stressing about something. "Yeah, but what if he doesn't say it back?"

"And what if he does?" I can't help but smile at her exasperated expression. "I'm not saying it to hear it back. I'm saying it because I'll explode if I go another day without telling him."

"You're braver than I, Rose Weasley." She says seriously. It's completely ridiculous, of course, considering she and Albus confessed their love for each other six days into dating. "I hope it goes great."

"Wish me luck!" I wiggle my fingers in a little wave and then dash out of the common room. It's a quick trip through the secret passage and I'm out on the grounds. The moon has a high illumination tonight, and I immediately spot Scorpius standing under our tree.

I hurry over to him, feeling the butterflies in my stomach wake up. "Hi," I say when I'm close enough. A big smile lights up his face, and I feel myself smiling in return.

Scorpius grabs my arm and pulls me into a fierce hug. Mouth pressed against my ear, he whispers, "I've needed to hug you all day." His arms tighten around me.

My legs feel weak, and if he wasn't holding me up I'm sure I would have fallen. "I saw you at lunch, silly. That was like nine hours ago." I laugh, pulling away but keeping my arm hooked through his.

He smiles bashfully and we start walking into the forest. "That's a long time not to see your smile."

"You're so full of it."

"Hmm, maybe. How was your day?"

"Pretty good, except that Professor McClain saddled me with extra homework again." I pull a face. It's the fifth time this week alone, and I'm rather tired of it all.

"Why? Wait, let me guess. You were daydreaming again?" Scorpius smiles wickedly. "It must have been something really good, too. Were you daydreaming about being in my arms, my sweet? You don't have to fight it anymore."

"You know me so well." I drawl. "Anyway, it's not a big deal. Shouldn't take me more than an hour to complete."

"Whoa, seriously? An hour?" His fingers tighten around mine. "Are you sure you can be out here tonight? I don't want your work to suffer on my account."

I squeeze his fingers reassuringly. "Relax, I'll do it in the morning. Besides, tonight is all about you and me."

I can sense his curiosity, but he knows enough not to push me. In a handful of minutes we arrive at the clearing and once there I pull out the basket we keep stored in the bushes. I unfold the picnic blanket and, with Scorpius's help, lay it on the grass. He plops down and draws me into his lap. We sit like that for a long time, with his chest to my back and his chin on top of my head.

All of my tension leaves as I sit there, safe and happy in his arms. It's actually amazing how comforting his touch is. I never feel more calm or more alive than I do when I'm with him. Not that I could ever tell him that, what with the size of his ego now.

"Rose?"

"Mmm?" I open my eyes and look up into his face.

Scorpius watches me with thoughtful eyes. "Do you know how to dance?"

I snort. What kind of a question is that? "Not really. Why? Do you?"

He nods like it's the most natural thing in the word. "My father had me take lessons as a kid. He thought it best to be prepared for any situation."

I clap my hand to my mouth to hide my smile. The idea of a little Scorpius prancing around in dress robes is unbearable. "You've got to be kidding." I finally manage.

"Not at all." He jumps to his feet, causing me to tumble out of his lap. Before I can muster an indignant glare, he has his hand out to help. "Can I have this dance?"

Okay. Who could resist that? Giggling, I let him help me to my feet. Scorpius pulls me flush against his chest, looking down at me with a smoldering gaze that makes my knees turn to jelly.

"Follow my lead." He then proceeds to guide me through a series of basic dance steps. It takes me a few minutes, but eventually I pick them up.

"I would be better if there was music." I complain, after the third time I trod on his toes.

He brushes a curl away from my eyes. "Dance to the beat of your heart."

I'm about to ask him what kind of cryptic crap is he talking about, when he starts humming a tuneless melody. Quiet at first, then louder. "You're tone deaf." I tease, even though the sound of his singing kindles a warm fire in the pit of my stomach.

Scorpius only smiles in reply, and continues to hum for me. We dance until I can get through the movements with something like grace. Suddenly, he spins me away from his body and with his hand pressed firmly into my lower back, dips me back toward the ground. Stars cartwheel above me as I let my head fall. Gently, he brings me up. My breathing falters when I see how he's looking at me—like I'm the most precious thing in the whole world.

That's when I know.

"Scorp?" I wrap my arms around his neck, feeling my heart flutter when he turns his head and kisses the crook of my elbow. "I need to tell you something."

"You can tell me anything."

I take a breath to calm my nerves. "You're right. Scorp, these past few months have been great, and I really like spending time with you, but I think it could be better."

Scorpius's smile falters and he steps back out of my embrace. "I don't know what you expect." He says, sounding distressed and angry at the same time. "I-I've been trying—"

"No, stop." Smiling warmly, I reach out to touch his arm. "It's nothing like that. Let me finish. You're the only person who understands me perfectly, and whenever I'm not with you I'm wishing I was. I've never felt this way about anyone before, ever." I look down at the ground, too embarrassed to hold his gaze. "These past few months have been the best of my life, and the only way it could be better would be for me to tell you how I feel. And how I feel is that—that I love you, Scorpius Malfoy. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, and it scares me."

He doesn't say anything right away and, despite my best efforts, tears spring into my eyes. I'm so stupid, of course he doesn't feel the same way. He's probably freaked out and I ruined the best thing in my life just because I couldn't keep my stupid mouth shut—

"Hey."

Scorpius tilts my chin up so my eyes are level with his, and I'm overwhelmed by the emotion I see in them. "I love you too, Rosie."

My gasp of relief is cut short as he places his lips on mine. Euphoria sweeps through me, making me feel lighter than air. It's hard to imagine that, up high as I am now, anything bad could ever touch me again.

Because I'm not alone. I love someone. And he loves me back.

**Hey guys. I know it's been a long time since I've posted one of these, and I'm sorry. I got pretty sick for a week and didn't feel like writing. But I'm back, and I dare you to keep me away. (;**

**This was the hardest chapter to write, and I'm expecting mixed reviews. Let me assure you that I have a plan, and a reason for skipping two months of relationship stuff. It'll all come together in the end. **

**I hope you all are having a lovely summer (or winter, or fall, or whatever season it is in your country). In my haste to get this chapter to you guys (and let the impatient college kid behind me use the computer), I only skimmed it for spelling and grammar mistakes. Bear with me. **

**See you in a few days. **


	9. Chapter 9

"**Go Slytherin**! Go Gryffindor!" I cheer, pumping my fists in the air at the blur of green, silver, red, and gold. Regan is cheering just as heartily beside me, only she's partial to Slytherin alone. I get the pleasure of rooting for both teams.

James soars through the air toward the goalpost, preparing to score. He's a fantastic Chaser for the Gryffindor team, made better by years of intense training. I watch, too, as Scorpius braces to block the shot. On the other hand, he's one brilliant Keeper. It's anyone's game. I clutch Regan's arm as my cousin shoots toward my boyfriend.

"Ow!" Regan shakes me off. "Retract the claws, kitty."

I smile sheepishly at her and turn back to the game. Affleck bats away a bludger aimed at James, who catches the ball from a teammate and turns to face Scorpius. Quick as a whip, he fakes to the right before lobbing the ball at the center hoop. Scorpius turns so fast that I almost miss it, and knocks the Quaffle away.

"Yes!" I shout, amidst a mixed wave of groans and cheers. "Way to go, Scorpius!"

Lily, who's sitting next to me in Lorcan's lap, looks up with a smirk. "You're certainly perky today, Rosie."

My face heats up a bit, but I ignore her teasing. She was one of the first people who found out when Scorpius and I started dating, even though we've tried to keep it on the down low. She also pried out every detail about last night, so she knows that we really love each other.

I smile as I replay the memory of Scorpius's face when he tells me he loves me. If I could bottle up his expression, I would keep it with me for the rest of my life.

The rest of the game is a ferocious dogfight. Whenever one team would score, the other would fight all the harder to tie. It all ends when Patrick, the Gryffindor Seeker, catches the snitch.

"Gryffindor wins!"

"Whoo! Yeah! Gryffindor!"

"Way to go, Lions!"

Regan and I rush down to the field to congratulate our men. I have to push through several players in silver and green to get to Scorpius. He's sweaty and tired looking, but when he sees me his eyes light up.

"You came!" He cries, sounding surprised.

"I told you I would." I throw myself into his arms, overwhelmed by the need to be close to him. After a few seconds, I pull back to smile at him. "You were fantastic, absolutely brilliant!"

Scorpius beams. "It was a good match. Up until the last second I wasn't sure who was going to win."

"I'm so proud of you." How many people could be such gracious losers? Not only does he play well, but he loses even better. I reach up to ruffle his damp hair, something that I never get tired of doing. Scorpius's gray eyes flash silver, the only clue I have to what he's going to do before he does it. In a flash, he reaches his hands up to cup my face and brings me forward to meet his lips. It's a kiss so fierce, so desperate, that my knees go weak with the force of it. The cheers around us grow even louder, but it's impossible for me to focus on them.

When he pulls back, I whisper, "From now on, I'm coming to all of your games."

He laughs quietly, "I would love—"

Someone rips me away from him, yanking me off my feet. Hitting the ground hard, I look up in time to see my cousin James grab Scorpius by the front of his robes and punch him in the face.

I spring to my feet as Scorpius staggers back. "What the hell?" I push past James to get to Scorpius. "Are you okay? Is it—" A hand closes around my arm, dragging me away from a second time.

James glares at Scorpius, eyes bright with fury. "Stay away from her, Malfoy."

"James!" I twist out of his grip, and turn to face him. "Have you lost your mind?"

He's so angry I can see him shaking. "Have _I_ lost my mind?" He asks through gritted teeth, "Rose, what in Merlin's name are you doing kissing Scorpius Malfoy?"

"Um, have you been under a rock for the past two months?" I shoot back.

James falters, confused. "What?"

I snort in derision. "Scorpius and I have been dating for two months. Exclusively. Seriously, how did you not know that?"

My cousin pales. "Tell me you're joking. Please, for the love of god, tell me you're not in a," His face twists like he has a bad taste in his mouth, "relationship, with Malfoy."

There's a burning anger low in my chest that frightens me. Usually when I'm angry I shout and storm, but now an icy calm has descended over me.

"Not only am I in a relationship with him," I say, matching James's glare for glare, "But I love him."

Scorpius is standing now, watching our confrontation with guarded eyes. "And I love her." He announces, moving to stand next to me. I take his hand, drawing on his strength.

James's eyes narrow dangerously. "Please." He says, addressing Scorpius, "You don't know what love is. I've seen you with a different girl each week for years. The second they really feel anything for you, you break their hearts and move onto the next. You're all about the game, Malfoy, and I refuse to let my little cousin become one of your broken pawns."

"You have no right to talk to him that way." I snap, getting James's attention. "He's different with me, James."

James rolls his eyes. "Merlin, I can't believe what I'm hearing. You're not the first girl to think she's tamed the untamable, Rosie."

I let go of Scorpius. "Do you think I'm a complete idiot?" I demand, advancing on my cousin. "Do you think I rushed blindly into this? No. We took things slow. We stayed out of the public eye. For weeks I waited for what I thought was the inevitable, but Scorpius earned my trust a long time ago. He's a better man than you think."

James doesn't back off like I thought he would—instead, he holds his ground. His eyes are still hard, but some of the anger drains out of them. "Or he's better at hiding it. I'm just trying to protect you from getting your heart broken."

"He's not going to break my heart."

"I promise you, cousin, he will. And because you think you love him, it'll be all the messier. "

I want to shake him. "You don't know what you're talking about."

James looks at me sadly, almost pityingly. "I've watched him parade girls around these halls for years, Rosie. Ask any of one of them if he's been sincere a day in his life. You're playing with fire and when you do that, you're asking to get burned."

"James. He's not like that." I insist, even though my stomach lurches sickeningly at his words. It's my worst fear, Scorpius chewing me up and spitting me out like he's done to other girls. In my heart I know he wouldn't do that, but it's hard to shut out everyone's doomsday prophecies.

"Walk away, Rose. Walk away now, before you get hurt." James holds out his hand.

I look behind me to see Scorpius watching me with fearful eyes. Never in my life have I seen Scorpius afraid of anything. Not once. But he's afraid now.

That, more than anything, assures me of my position. "No." I back away from my cousin, cringing at the hurt and disappointment that flash across his face. "I won't. I already told you, I love him."

James rubs his eyes, suddenly looking exhausted. "Then I can't be around to pick up the pieces when you fall apart. I love you too much to watch you do this to yourself, Rosie and, I'm sorry, but until you end things with him…I don't want to be around you."

"Fine." My voice is tight and pinched from the tears I'm holding back. "Go."

James kicks the ground once, twice, then turns toward the exit. I watch James, who's always been an older brother to me, James, who picked me up and dusted me off after I fell from my first broomstick, James, who beat up the first boy to break my heart, walk away.

At that moment, something inside of me bursts into flame, screams, and dies, leaving me with the unsettling feeling of something important missing.

Albus and Regan rush to me, worried expressions on their faces.

"We've been keeping your relationship hidden from James for as long as we could," Regan jumps in, breathless, "We knew he wouldn't like it, so we've been trying our best to make Scorpius look good for weeks. You know, ease him into the idea of you two dating. But, uh," She glances over my shoulder to Scorpius, whose black eye is beginning to flower, and winces. "I guess it didn't work."

I don't know what to say, so I look at Albus who, without a word, opens his arms. Gratefully, I fall into them, shaking as sobs tear their way out of my chest.

**That night, I wait until** Regan falls asleep to sneak out of the castle. I don't want her asking me how I'm feeling anymore. I climb through the passage and then scramble across the grounds to my tree. It's colder than I expected, and I hunker down against its trunk for warmth. How am I feeling?

Lousy.

I still feel strangely incomplete, like a clock missing a gear. James has always been a constant in my life, like Albus and Lily, someone that I've grown up with and never had to question. He's been there through my worst fights with Hugo and the bullying I endured until I turned thirteen and learned how to stand up for myself. He never left me through all of it, not once.

Not until now.

The stars become blurry as tears fill my eyes. Hastily, I brush them away. I can understand where James is coming from. He thinks that Scorpius is detrimental to my well-being, so in a way it's like watching someone who knows they're an alcoholic having "just one drink'. I get that.

But what I can't understand is him not trying to see things from my perspective. He treated me like I was a lovesick idiot incapable of seeing clearly and that's not fair. I took things slow, I played it close to the chest for weeks. But there comes a point in every relationship where you have to stop waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Speaking of relationships, I sit up a bit and look around. No one is there and, a bit disappointed, I lie back. I'd been half expecting for Scorpius to come looking for me, seeing as how I hadn't had a chance to talk to him since the match. I guess he figures I need some time to myself, even though the opposite is true. I would give anything to have my boyfriend with me right now. For Scorpius to hold onto me and tell me that this terrible emptiness would fade. For Scorpius to reassure me of his love and dedication with one simple look.

Feeling tremendously alone, I wrap my arms around myself and gaze up into the starry night sky.


	10. Chapter 10

"**I can't wait** until Christmas. I know it's, like, a thousand days away, but there's something so romantic about snowy nights and roaring fires. Don't you think? I do. Do you have any idea what you're giving Scorpius for Christmas? I think I might be getting Albus a book or something dorky like that. He's into that stuff, right? Hey, Rose, are you even listening to me? Rose?"

A sharp elbow is jabbed into my ribs, jolting me out of my thoughts. I glare reproachfully at Regan. "What was that for?"

She sighs in an exasperated fashion. "I don't know why I bother talking to you. What's got you so wrapped up?"

I squeeze my way around a couple snogging rather passionately, and continue walking. "I don't know." I finally admit, blowing a bit of hair out of my face. "I feel like I haven't seen Scorpius at all since the Quidditch game."

"It's been, what, three days?" Regan asks, bumping my shoulder gently. "If you can't go three days without being glued to his hip then you, my dear, are a _clingy girlfriend_."

I bristle at the remark. "I am not _clingy_, I just…I'm not sure. I have a bad feeling about all of this. He's being distant, and it's not like Scorpius to avoid me."

"Honey, it's been three days. He's not avoiding you, he's probably getting some breathing room."

"Yeah, I guess." We take a left and continue down the hallway. "Anyway, I'm tutoring him in a few minutes so I guess I'll see him then."

"See? You're worried for nothing." Regan gives me a quick hug as we come to a stop in front of the library. "I'll fill you in on what I was talking about later. Have fun with your loverrr." She coos, eliciting a whack on the leg from me as she prances away.

"I hate that word!" I call after her, getting only a cackle of laughter in reply. Shaking my head, I push open the library doors. I thread my way through the tables, most of them empty, until I get to my usual one. Dropping my books on the chair beside me, I shrug out of my heavy cloak. I've got one arm out of the sleeve when I happen to glance up. And what I see shocks me to the core.

Scorpius is sitting on a table twenty feet off, playing with some girl's hair and whispering to her. As I watch, he leans forward and kisses her, one hand cupping her cheek while the other drifts to her hips. It's no friendly kiss either—it's raw, intimate, with chemistry no one could fake.

I feel my stomach drop through the floor, and a wave of cold crash over me, freezing me to my chair. My heart contracts painfully with each passing second his lips are on hers. Finally, when I can't take it any longer and am about to flee the scene, Scorpius and the girl break apart. He turns his head a bit to the right and looks me straight in the eye. No regret, no shame, just watching to see what I'll do next.

I stand up so fast my chair falls over with a bang, and half-run, half-walk from the library.

**It takes me three hours** to realize I left my things in the library, and eleven hours to care. In the intervening time, I've been outside walking through the forest. I have no idea where I am or where I'm going, but I have the idea that if I stand still for even a second I'll completely fall apart. My feet ache something fierce, and I grew numb to the chilly air hours ago.

I missed all my afternoon classes, but I can't bring myself to care. It's like someone swapped the real Rose Weasley for an unfeeling, unthinking automaton. There's a heavy pressure on my chest, but other than that I feel nothing. All I see is Scorpius, with his hand tangled in that girl's hair, his mouth pressed against hers.

At the same time I realize I don't have my things, I decide that I should go back for them. No reason why. Dragging my feet, I painstakingly maneuver my way back out of the forest, a task that takes the better part of the next hour.

When the castle comes into sight, an overwhelming urge to run away threatens to consume me. I make myself keep walking, but instead of going in the direction of the library, my feet carry me all the way to the door of Slytherin common room. Without thinking about consequences, I raise my hand and knock on the door. I knock quietly at first, then loudly, and I keep knocking until someone yanks the door open.

Albus is standing there, hair rumpled with sleep. "Rose?" He asks with a yawn. "What are you…hey, are you okay?"

I try to tell him that I want to see Scorpius, but no words come out. Clearing my throat, I try again. "I need to see Scorpius."

"Why? Rose, what's wrong?"

"Albus, please. Bring me Scorpius." I don't have the strength to argue—I'm steeling myself for the moment when I confront my boyfriend.

Albus studies me a second longer, then disappears behind the door. I wait only a few minutes before Scorpius walks through the door, closing it behind him. For several excruciating seconds, the only sound in the corridor is silence.

"What are you doing here, Rose?" Despite the late hour, Scorpius doesn't look very sleepy. On the contrary, he seems wide awake.

"How could you?" Staring up into his eyes, I find no traces of the love and compassion that was there a day ago. No, it's like I time-travelled back to confront the hostile and agitated Scorpius of two months ago. "How could you?" I repeat, "After I stood up for you against my own cousin, who's practically like a brother to me? How could you—be with another girl, after what I sacrificed for us?"

Scorpius's tone is flinty when he says, "I didn't need defending. I can fight my own battles, Rose."

"That's not what this is about. I know you. You're not one of those guys. So why did you do it? Why did you kiss her, when you know how much I love you?" My original strength is fading fast, leaving me feeling disoriented and light headed. The thought that I haven't eaten since breakfast crosses my mind.

"Why do I do anything?" Scorpius leans back against the doorframe, assuming a nonchalant pose. "Your cousin was right to warn you away from me. I'm no good."

"That's not true."

"So you think me kissing another girl while I supposedly love you is a good thing? Man, that's twisted." He says with a cruel sneer.

"I—I don't know what to think." Being this close to him was a bad idea. He's acting weird and unfriendly, nothing like the Scorpius I know.

"Then allow me to enlighten you." Scorpius pushes himself off the wall, covering the distance between us in two ferocious strides. He's so close now that I have to tilt my chin up to keep eye contact. "I never loved you."

The words hit me like a sledgehammer, but he's nowhere close to done. "Maybe I felt something for you at one point, but as soon as you told me you loved me I got over it. And it made me realize that my feelings for you? They were pity. Your only friends are your cousin and a wannabe cool girl, and they're not even real with you. Albus only hangs out with you because he feels sorry for you, and Regan only acts like your friend because she wanted to get close to Albus. Haven't you noticed how much less time you two spend together now that she's with your cousin? They're grateful I took you in, and I guess that's another reason I kept dating you. But now it's too much work.

"How could I ever seriously love someone like you, Rose? You're always going to be second to your brother—you're not nearly as smart or as likeable as he is. You have no ambition like him, which means that any merits you do have are good for nothing. And even though you're not trying to compete with Hugo, he hates you for talents you don't even use. It's almost funny.

"As a favor to everyone I entertained you for a while, to give them a break. You're not bad to look at, but let's be serious. Most of the girls I date are knockouts, where you're around a six. Maybe if you lost a few pounds and ditched the eye-sore Raggedy-Anne hair you could be bumped up to an eight, but I'm tired of your deadweight dragging my reputation down.

"You want to know something about yourself, Rose? The reason you prefer books to people is because you're afraid that if you put yourself out there no one will like you. And you're right. Lorcan chose Lily, Regan chose Albus, Hugo chose, well, everyone else, and naturally it's my turn to trade you in. Titania may not know as many spells as you do, but snogging her is like kissing an open flame. It's hot. Nothing like what we had. Sorry to be so blunt, but you always prattle on about how you cherish honesty above almost everything else, so I figure you can handle it. You should have listened to James. It would have saved me a lot of time. I would say that we had fun, but we really didn't, did we? Anyway, I'm done here. You can go."

Do you know that nagging voice in the back of your head that whispers your cruelest insecurities to you? Do you know that feeling when the one person you love and trust most says all those things to you? It takes me a second to find my voice, but somehow I find it. "I loved you because of who were, Scorpius, the whole package. I was the one person who loved you because of your flaws, not in spite of them. I dealt with your baggage and loved you more for being able to open yourself up to me, even though some of the things you've done are repulsive. I guess I was fooling myself, thinking you could love someone like me, but you can't take back the things you've told me about your life, and I really think you deserve better. You're a better person than most people think, and if you could see that, maybe you could also see how much I loved you. I'm sorry for being such a burden to you these past few months, and I promise this will be the last time I bother you. Thanks for enlightening me."

Without looking at him, I beat a hasty retreat down the corridor. I don't stop there, however. I walk out of the castle, out into the forest, and straight on to morning.

**Didn't see that one coming, did you? **

**Yeah, sorry about that. But not all is what you think! There's more to this story than meets the eye, as always. **

**Keep your fingers crossed that things can be resolved, and the sooner the better. **

**I'm going to start working on the Scorpius version of this story soon, and maybe that will provide some insight into the situation. For now, you're just going to have wait and see what happens next. (:**

**There are two chapters tonight because I feel bad about the lack of updates recently. This definitely kick-started my butt back into action, though, and every review I get makes me feel like this is something worthwhile I'm doing. Thank you guys so much, and happy reading. **


	11. Chapter 11

**I spend the rest of** the night wandering around the forest, and I don't come back until the sun is fairly high in the sky. I don't care about the classes I'm missing, although I feel a small twinge of guilt as I walk up to Ravenclaw tower. Nobody's in the common room as I walk through, and my dorm is likewise empty. I make quick work of changing into pajamas, and before I know it I'm collapsed on my bed half asleep.

It feels like I've only been sleeping for a few minutes when rough hands shake me awake. I blink several times before the scene comes into focus. Regan is standing above me, hands planted on hips and eyes blazing with anger.

"Where have you been?" She demands hotly, before I can get a word in. "I was worried out of my mind when you missed all your afternoon classes, and then didn't show up for lights out. When I woke up this morning and you weren't in bed I nearly had a heart attack! I thought maybe, maybe you had gotten an early start, but then you're not in any classes and Albus tells me you went to talk to Scorpius in the middle of the night. Have you finally lost it? What happened?"

The barrage of questions is more than I can handle, so I shrug and answer her last question. "Nothing happened. I just took a walk."

"A twenty three hour long walk? That seems a bit extreme. And it would be a lot more convincing that nothing happened if you didn't have twigs in your hair and scratches all over your face." Regan takes a deep breath like she's collecting herself, and sits on the bed next to me. She reaches over and takes my hand, and when she next speaks, she seems calmer. "What happened, Rose? Did you two break up or was it just a fight?"

I want to laugh. The idea of laughing seems ridiculous, which only makes me want to laugh harder. But that would only enforce her idea of me finally cracking, so I shrug again. "We broke up." The words ring hollow, devoid of emotion. Like me.

Pity wells up in her eyes. "Oh no, Rosie." She wraps her arms around me in a bone crushing hug, making me squirm uncomfortably. "I'm so sorry. Why?"

I have no idea how to begin to answer that question, so I play dumb. "I don't know. It was out of the blue." I manage to untangle myself from her and yawn. "I'm really tired."

She's looking at me in a way that I know she knows I'm holding something back, but isn't going to push me right now. "Okay, I'll let you get some rest. Are you going to any of your classes today?"

I shake my head.

"Then I'll pick up your homework for you." Leaning down, she ruffles my hair. "Get some sleep."

I close my eyes, and a few seconds later I hear the door close. Taking several deep, calming breaths, I try to fall back to sleep. No such luck. I know I'm tired—my eyes feel like sandpaper and my body's heavy with exhaustion—but for some reason my mind keeps going back to the look in Scorpius's eyes as he told me I was nothing.

With a disgusted sound, I kick off the covers and push myself to my feet. Not sure what to do next, I look around, and happen to catch sight of myself in the floor length mirror a few beds away.

For the first time, I see myself through Scorpius's eyes. My hair is glaringly painful to look at, unruly and stuck up at odd angles. My eyes are flat and lifeless, and squished much to close together. I pull my pajama top tight against my stomach and almost pass out. Even though I know my body is a healthy size, I suddenly see myself as one of those inflatable Santa Claus's that muggles stick out on their lawns at Christmas.

My stomach heaves, making me bolt for the nearest bathroom. I lock myself in a stall just in time. Not having eaten much in the past two days, it's mostly dry heaves, and when the episode is over I wipe my mouth with a shaky hand.

If there was any doubt in my mind over his breakup, it's gone now. Of course he couldn't love me. I'm disgusting. I need to change. Maybe if I change he won't hate me. Maybe he'll give me another chance to prove that I could be better than all of those other girls.

I leave the bathroom with a small flutter of hope. Now, I have a plan. I'm going to become the kind of person that Scorpius could love. I would get him to take me back.

I make my way back to the dormitory and snatch my wand off the bedside table. This time what I see in the mirror doesn't make me sick, because I know in a matter of time I won't be the same. First things first. I have to start small, and my eye stops on the one thing I can change _right now_. I stare at my fire engine red hair, and picture it as a sleek platinum blonde like most girls in my year have. The kind of hair that swayed instead of bounced. The kind of hair that would win Scorpius back.

Keeping this mental picture locked in my mind, I raise my wand and touch it to my head. "Colorvaria."

I watch in delight as my curls loose their shape, falling into silky strands that ran through my fingers. I watch my annoyingly red hair fades into a delicious white blonde. When the process is finished, I reach a hand up and pat my new hair. Perfection.

**I wake up** bright and early the next morning, fueled by my plan to change. Of course I have to go to classes—Scorpius likes a challenge, which I won't be if I stop going to school and become dumber than dirt. Regan had six fits last night over my hair, asking me if I was cracked in the head. I'd explained to her that it was normal to want a change after a breakup, though I kept my plan secret. I had a feeling that she wouldn't be very receptive to my motives.

I go to my classes and apologize for missing so much work recently. My teachers are surprised at my absences, but don't seem to be particularly bothered. They know that it's not likely for me to get behind. I see Scorpius several times that day, but each time he's draped over Ttiania. I'm not worried. When he sees the changes I've made, he'll be putty in my hands.

I spend all of next week getting him to notice me, getting him to see that I'd changed. On Friday, I'm following him to our sixth period. "Hi, Scorpius." I say, proud that my voice doesn't shake.

Scorpius stops and turns on me with a snarl. "Okay, enough is enough. All week I've tolerated you stalking me because I felt bad for you, but I'm sick of it. What do I have to say to get you to leave me alone, Rose? Tell me, please, tell me what to say to get you to _leave me alone_."

I jump, taken aback by his attitude. "I—I changed. I thought you wanted me to change."

He laughs derisively. "All you've done is changed your hair which doesn't count as changing yourself. You're still the same person, Rose, and I still don't want to be with you. In fact nothing you do will ever make me want to be with you again. There. Now you can stop following me around like a lost puppy dog. It's pathetic." And without so much as another glance at me, he turns and stalks down the hall.

I race to Ravenclaw tower, missing my last two classes and not giving a damn. I run past the common room full of people and straight into my dorm, which thankfully is empty. I throw myself down on my bed just as the tears come, hot and fast.

There's nothing I can do. He doesn't want to be with me even when I'm different. He hates me. The person I love more than anyone else wants nothing to do with me.

I don't know how long I lay there, sobs racking my body, before I feel cool hands on my back.

"Rose? What happened?" Regan asks.

I can't answer her. I'm too ashamed, too hurt to do anything but sob. After a minute the hands leave my back, and I hear the door to the dorm close. I'm not alone for long, because in a few minutes I feel a new set of hands on my back, very familiar hands.

"Look at me, Rose." Lily says in a low, authoritative voice.

I lift my head from my pillow and look up at my cousin. She has tears sparkling in her eyes, but her mouth is set in a determined line.

"Tell me what happened." She demands.

"I—I can't." I choke, my crying cutting off any other attempts at speech.

Lily takes a strand of my blonde hair and looks at me sadly. "Did you do this for him?"

I wail, covering my face in my arms. "It d-doesn't matter. H-he hates me!"

"Hush," Lily wraps her slender arms around me in a hug. "Don't think that. He doesn't hate you. He can't."

"He—does." I hiccup. "And there's nothing I can do to change his mind. I love him, Lily. I love him so much, and it's—it's killing me that he doesn't love me back. And he never did."

"What do you mean? Of course he loves you back. You told me what he said, and I've seen you two together."

"No," I can barely breathe past the hard lump in my throat, "No, no, no, no. I was wrong. I don't—I can't-" The rest of my sentence dissolves into helpless, desperate sobs. There's a pain in my chest that I've never felt before. It feels like something tearing me up from the inside.

Lily let me cry and didn't ask me questions. Instead, she gathered up my hair and began to braid it, like I'd done to hers so many times in the past. We spent most of the night like that, me crying and Lily trying to soothe me. No one came in, which meant that the girls were sleeping somewhere else tonight. That only made me feel worse, but eventually, somehow, I cried myself to sleep.

**I have to say, you're all in for a bumpy road. **

**Sorry for the lack of updates (I feel like that's all I say lately), but with the start of school things have been hectic, to say the least. I wrote this in my free time in between classes and at night, and finally got to a computer to type it up. **

**I loved everyone's reviews—you guys had some very imaginative guesses!**

**New part in one week, and this time I promise. **


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